8 Steps for a Better Night's Sleep

IT'S OFFICIALLY EXAM SEASON!!!! Which means "yaay!" bc SCHOOL IS ALMOST OUT but also tears bc NOBODY LIKES EXAMS.

{Source.}

⮙⮙ Current mood, right there. ⮙⮙

Besides preparing well and eating a hearty breakfast on Exam Day™, one of the best exam-related pieces of advice I've ever received is to get plenty of sleep the night before the test. And because REST IS AWESOME and May = the month of AP exams, SATs, and state testing (😱😱😱), I guess you know what I'll be talking about... I'm proud to present: my favorite evening routine for a better night's sleep. 💤

Also, shoutout to Ella Marie @ February Fairy for her evening routine post, which inspired this one! Go check out her blog, Dragons -- IT'S AMAZING! 💟

Now, on to the post... 😉

SWITCH YOUR DEVICES TO

AIRPLANE MODE + STORE THEM AWAY

SOCIAL MEDIA IS SO TEMPTING. Right before bed, at the end of the day, that nagging temptation to just hop on Facebook for a quick moment, or Instagram to see what your best friend is doing, or Twitter to see if there are any new notifications... THE LIST GOES ON. Switching your devices to airplane mode and storing them away in a purse/backpack or desk drawer will lessen the temptation to check "just one more time," and ultimately provide your eyes with a well-needed rest.

EXCHANGE YOUR MUSIC FOR WHITE NOISE

I think most of us can agree that MUSIC IS JUST AMAZING. From those enchanting notes flow sweet songs that can alter our mood and provide (or take away) inspiration. MUSIC = MAGIC. But right before bed, it's easy to get caught up in song selection or humming along to the lyrics. So exchange your music for white noise! This can be a fan, a heater, a machine -- anything that has a steady rhythm to give your mind something consistent and lulling to focus on.

BRUSH/COMB YOUR HAIR & REMOVE ALL MAKEUP

Makeup makes all the difference in a good night's sleep. Half-asleep, rubbing at smeared mascara and enraged glitter is no way to spend a night. Remove all makeup, wash your face, and give your hair a thorough brushing for a neat, natural sleep.

GET READY FOR BED

Do whatever you need to do. Brush your teeth, slide your retainer into place, dose yourself in lotion, load the dishwasher -- whatever "get ready for bed" means to you. 😉

PLAN THE DAY-TO-COME / WRITE IN YOUR DIARY

If you have anything to jot down, do it now. This can be planning tomorrow, adding that meeting to your schedule, or doing a quick summary of your day. This will drag any nagging thoughts out and onto paper.

SPEND ALONE-TIME WITH GOD

Now comes Bible time. 💕 Spend alone-time with God; tell Him your worries, your concerns. Pray for tomorrow, thank Him for today. Review a verse or sing a song. Spending time with the Savior restores peace, renews our relationship with Him, and further strengthens our bond. Plus, there are so many people to pray for! I'm certain God loves our quality time more than we could ever comprehend. 💗

STRETCH

A few minutes of sit-ups or yoga relieves tension and strengthens your body. Happy muscles lead to an even happier sleep. 😉

TURN OUT THE LIGHTS, GET COZY, & READ

Now is the time to get cozy. ♡ Flick off the lights, slide into bed, and read for a while. Soon, you'll be fast asleep and dreaming sweet dreams...

REMEMBER TO...

• Have your lights out at a decent hour. None of this "after midnight" business!
• Pray. Turn to God for peace-of-mind.
• Get your bags ready. Your morning will flow much more smoothly when all your pencils are sharpened, water bottles are in place, and electronics are on vibrate.
• Prepare a cold breakfast. A pre-made breakfast will make your morning faster and easier. You'll need that fuel for the exam!
• Relax. Tests are just a thing, and God's got your back. 💓

Have I missed anything? What tips do you have for a better night's sleep?

❤,

Regarding Common Core (From a High School Student & Math Tutor's Perspective)

(First off, my apologies for this post coming so late. The past week has been somewhat hectic...)

On the Thursday a couple weeks ago, I got a job. One I was positively thrilled for. I was going to be an Algebra tutor.

The pay was perfect. The hours were perfect. And, at the time, it seemed definite that this was established as "my" job, and it would last into the summer.

Spoiler alert: It didn't.

Monday afternoon, last week, -- my first day -- I sat down with my student at her family's dining room table. I was expecting something a bit challenging; the mother had warned me that the work was all Common Core. It turned out that the week's work revolved around SBAC testing -- yup, that hideous, ginormous, online-but-you're-not-allowed-to-use-scratch-paper state test.

I spent an hour at the girl's house, staring at some of the problems. The phrasing didn't make sense. What they wanted didn't make sense.

There was one question that asked for the distance between two points (though, of course, in so many more words). After I had blinked at the problem for about five minutes, I sighed and pulled out my blue pen and notebook.

"Have you ever heard of the distance formula?" I asked.

My student, a bright, young middle-schooler, shook her head.

I wrote it down. "You haven't seen this?"

Again, she shook her head.

Eyebrows furrowed, I returned to the problem and plugged in the various x-es, y-s, and so on. Finally, I reached an answer. This answer was on the list, and I was willing to wager that it was correct.

"Are you sure they haven't taught this to you?"

My student shook her head. "No, I've never seen it before."

What?

After the hour had ended, I went home and finished my own homework. That evening, shortly before dinnertime, I received an email that stated my student required more help than they'd originally thought, and my services were no longer required.

My spirits plummeted. I'd lost my job on my first day.

~

I attend a campus for independent study. This means that I'm practically homeschooled: Every month, I do the assigned work and attend once-a-week classes, and every month, I take the tests and turn in my homework. The only downside is that the school district's decisions still affect me.

During my first year of high school, our principal began to host award ceremonies at the end of each semester. Over the past two years, I've received three awards over the course of two Algebra II/Geometry/Trigonometry classes. My current grade in Math is a high A.

Though it's taken several years for me to develop any form of affection for Math, it's now one of my favourite subjects. Thus, the job loss created an even more forceful blow.

When I found the email, I cried. I didn't understand. Sure, I understood that I couldn't provide the help my student needed to complete her practice SBAC packet, but... Was my apparent comprehension of math falsely assumed? Had my awards and grades been the result of some stroke of luck that has endured the past two years? Why couldn't I help her?

~

For the first two months of my freshman year, we used the Common Core textbooks, and we hated every moment of it. Thanks to my lovely ninth grade Math teacher, we soon made the switch to supplementary Common Core textbooks. (You know, the kind of textbooks in which they actually teach you how to do things. A crazy notion, I am well aware.)

Common Core is a nightmare. And so is the SBAC testing.

When I was in eighth grade, my parents pulled me out of my Pre-Algebra class and placed me on a more independent curriculum (a.k.a. not Common Core).

Still, in eighth grade, I took the SBAC test. Everything was online. By the end of the first thirty minutes, my eyes hurt from staring at the screen for so long. Upon the math-related portions of the test, we were not allowed to use scratch paper. Everything had to be done mentally. The best we received was a standard, online calculator to (sometimes) help us out.

~

Last Thursday, just a few days after my tutoring session, I plopped into my new favourite corner of my Math teacher's classroom and pulled out a pencil and a few sheets of paper.

My Math teacher walked over. "How did your first day at work go?"

I paused, eyes downcast. "I... was not able to help her with all her work, so I was... 'let go,' so to put it."

"Oh." The sympathy in my teacher's voice was thorough and much appreciated. "Might I ask which curriculum it was?"

I nodded. "Common Core. With a practice SBAC test."

He slowly bobbed his head in understanding and began to retreat to his desk. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't understand much of Common Core either. I shall be eternally grateful that your freshman-year Math teacher discovered these supplements."

"So will I."

So it wasn't just me. My Math teacher, a man who majored and has credentials in both Math and Social Studies, didn't fully comprehend it, either. And anyone who spoke with him or sat in on one of his classes would realize that he never had a moment's hesitation while teaching a class.

~

The purpose of Common Core was to unite the nation's districts, so we'd all be studying the same work and we could all be, roughly, on the same page. That part is good. But the fact that students and well-studied Math teachers alike are not comprehending this work makes Common Core a failure. How are we supposed to learn?

The average Common Core textbook provides few -- if any -- examples. Sometimes, they expect you to know a formula. Before I was pulled out of my eighth grade Pre-Algebra class, I spent a month with a Common Core textbook. It expected me, a mere child who possessed no love for math whatsoever at the time, to guess the formula for the sum of consecutive numbers. Don't know what the formula looks like? Neither did I. So, I googled it. It turns out that the formula's rather simple and easy to remember... if you're a high school sophomore who actually enjoys their Math class.

(n + 1)^2 = n^2 + 2n + 1

~

Common Core doesn't work. The SBAC testing is inconceivable. Together, the two are teaching students to become frustrated. To hate math. To fear themselves dense in areas in which they are expected to excel. I know. Because I've been that student.

Have you ever been much acquainted with Common Core? How did your relationship pan out?

❤,